Once upon a moonlit night
by Hateshinai Kaisou
Summary: This is a bleach-based fanfic, and it's an Ichimaru Gin x OC The timeline starts off from when Gin is Aizen's lieutenant. rated T just in case. Fate. Was it because of fate that they had met? I'm bad at summaries TT TT , but ENJOY
1. Fated M E E T I N G

Konnichiwa~

This is a bleach-based fanfic, and it's an Ichimaru Gin x OC ^__^ The timeline starts off from when Gin is Aizen's lt.

rated T just in case.

Fate. Was it because of fate that they had met? She would sacrifice anything for their love, he would do everything keep her. (I suck at summaries TT__TT Sorry)

[ Fated M E E T I N G ] {1}

The night sky darkened the land, the stars hidden by the misty clouds. The small path was only visible by the light of a full moon. A young man sat beneath a persimmon tree, fragrant blooms leaving a sweet perfume in the cold air. His shinigami clothing was adorned with a lieutenant badge, stating his position in the fifth division. Dark red eyes reflected the moonlight and all was silent except for the whispering of the breeze.

Ichimaru Gin tossed around a persimmon fruit, contemplating the plans that Aizen had discussed with him. He was able to let his guard down for once, leaving his usual mask behind. It was February the eighth; the cold was easing away, giving way to springtime. There had been no snow this winter, the days were shorter, the weather was colder, but no snow to speak of at all. He was just about to take a bite out of the sweet fruit when he felt something cold and wet on his nose. He blinked in surprise. Did it start raining? He looked up at the sky; tiny frozen flowers were falling from the heavens. It was snowing for the first time this year.

He smiled, his eyes still open, observing the landscape slowly being draped in a blanket of frost. His thoughts were interrupted when he caught some movement out of the corner of his eye. A young woman had just walked into the clearing, her silver grey eyes meeting his. Her face was empty of expression; there was no shock or surprise revealed on her face. Her outfit showed that she was still at the academy, still a student. He spoke to the shinigami, his red eyes still open; a rare occasion.

"Ne, what a surprise. What is a young shinigami like you doing here so late at night?" He smirked, expecting an excuse and a quick run back to the academy dorms. However, she didn't move, and motioned towards the badge on he had attached to his sash.

"What would a responsible lieutenant like you be doing here so late at night?" She smiled, challenging him.

"Yare yare, seems like you got me." He laughed quietly. She bowed slightly, showing her respect despite her little comment. She followed up with a polite introduction.

"Hajimemashite, Kaisou Hateshi."

He replied as well, a bit amused to see that she didn't already recognise him.

"Gin, Ichimaru Gin." He grinned, resuming his usual mask.

"Nice to meet you." She continued, keeping her voice down, lest someone pick up on the source of the sound.

"It would be much nicer to meet you if it weren't for you breaking the rules." Gin answered, still smiling.

"If you keep your silence, I will keep mine." She stated, her tone a bit more serious. (students aren't allowed out after their curfew, and lieutenants are supposed to attend to their duties.

"Oh? Was that supposed to be a threat, Hateshi-chan?" He asked, teasingly. (shortening her name and adding -chan makes it a nickname)

"I don't believe we are close enough for you to call me by my first name, Gin-fukutaichou." (she's returning the favour by calling him by his first name as well, but still sticks with the honorific "lieutenant")

"Well, if you call me that, then I don't have much of a choice now do I? And you're avoiding my question. ... or was it a threat?"

"I was not making any threats, simply stating a promise."

"Heh, you're quite amusing, aren't you Hateshi-chan?"

"So? Will we keep this a secret then?"

" 'Course I will. It's our secret..." He winked, teasing her. "Now, what brought you out here? Not many people come to this place."

She motioned at the persimmon tree he was standing in front of.

"It's quiet here, and there's a persimmon tree."

"You like persimmon?" He asked, inclining his head slightly. It seemed that a teasing personality wasn't the only thing they had in common. She nodded, walking past him and grabbing one off the branch.

"I would've been able to eat one already if it weren't for a certain someone."

Gin laughed at the comment, finishing his persimmon as well.

"Furthermore, there's a full moon tonight, and there's a beautiful snowfall. That itself is already a good enough reason to be out here." Unlike most, the cold and the gentle snowfall were comforting to Hateshi.

Gin smiled, opening his eyes again. It seemed like a good time to get going.

"Well, we wouldn't want you to get caught now would we? I'll get you back to the academy."

"But - " She exclaimed in protest.

"No excuses, let's go." He lead her back through the winding path, back towards the academy. Once they got to the dorm, she noticed a sempai standing at the entrance.

Great. Just great. He had to lead them towards the entrance that was guarded.

The guard seemed a bit shocked that someone got out without him noticing, but bowed to Ichimaru. The lieutenant spoke, a sly grin on his face.

"I happened to stumble upon this young woman here. There's no need for a punishment, I've already make sure that she won't do so again." Although Hateshi's expression wasn't quite readable at the moment, Gin could tell she was just about ready to kill him, and smirked at her. The guard hurriedly apologised for having to trouble him, proceeding in scolding Hateshi for having gone out past the curfew, and to appreciate Ichimaru-fukutaichou's generosity for sparing her of the consequences.

She glared at Ichimaru straight in the eye, and made her "apology"

"I apologise Gin-fukutaichou." Before the guard could discipline her on the tone of her apology and the way she had addressed the lieutenant, she had run back in towards the girl's dorm with a small "humph."

The silver-haired man couldn't help but to snicker slightly. She had kept her side of the promise after all. She was definitely an interesting one. Just to make sure that she hadn't lied to him about her name, he asked the guard about the young woman.

"Oi, who was that little troublemaker?"

"Sir, that was Kaisou Hateshinai, it is quite a surprise that she would do that, she's normally a very obedient and good student."

"Obedient and good student eh?" He smirked, looking in the direction that she had left. It would be quite interesting after all.

···

He went to the information reserve near his personal quarters and checked up on the most recent report about the current shinigami in the academy. Scrolling down on the list, he found her name. It was quite easy to spot; someone had already underlined it with red ink. He read it with much interest.

Kaisou, Hateshinai

Approximate age: 17.

Speciality: All-round fighter, good tactics, elevated reiatsu level

Grouping: A-1

Zanpakutou type: Fusion type, something similar to ice fused with light.

Other comments:

Excels at all subjects, doesn't talk much, and has an interesting reiatsu level. However, there is no contact family wise or other relations prior to entry to the academy, and no explanation for her reiatsu manipulating capability. Succeeded all current mission with ease in record time. Should be moved to a higher class. Permission requested.

Reply:

Permission denied. Keep an eye on the student, surveil any behaviour that can be considered out of line.

It seemed that the central 46 already had their eyes on this shinigami. However, they wouldn't be the only ones keeping an eye on Hateshinai Kaisou.

···

I've got lots written down, so go ahead to the next chappie ^__^

( I actually didn't write this as chapters, but oh well. )

Please comment ^__^


	2. F A I L E D revenge

T

When she got back to the room, she sat down on her futon, not very amused about the situation. Promise? Huh, she should have known better... That conniving lieutenant! How dare he? She thought that over ... after all, she was only a student, so it was slightly right that he should do that. Now it was almost certain that she would be put on a strict surveillance, whether she wanted to or not. Wait till the next time she saw him ... he was definitely in for quite a scolding. Then again ... a student wasn't allowed to scold a lieutenant now were they?

Frustrated, she pulled the blanket over her head, and blew out the candle, angry at the fox-eyed, annoying, questioning, teasing lieutenant she had just met. Little did she know, the guard wasn't the only to witness her coming back to the dorm with Ichimaru; another student had as well, and that encounter would affect her more than she could think of for the next couple of years...

An elegant-looking woman and a tall, silver-haired man walked in one of Las Noches' many great halls. They walked in silence, the man grinning, his eyes and interior motives hidden to the world that surrounded him. The woman had no expression so to speak of, her face betrayed nothing. The hall led all the way to two large and seemingly heavy doors. Ichimaru Gin extended his arm, and the doors opened as if he had opened it at will. There, a table was ready and set for them, the seats on both sides of the table were filled, the eight of the ten strongest espada had been awaiting their audience. At the end of the table, two other shinigami were present; the two other traitors of Soul Society. Aizen Sousuke had a cup of tea in front of him, his chin resting on the back of his hand. He called out to the pair that had just entered.

"Gin, Hateshi, do have a seat. We were expecting you." He motioned towards the seat opposite of him and the one next to it.

"I suppose there would be no other reason why all of you would be here and waiting now would there?" The woman retorted, a smile at the corner of her lips.

Tousen, who was sitting next to Aizen, spoke up, angered easily as always.

"Woman! How dare you speak that way to Aizen-sama!"

Hateshi raised an eyebrow, amused with what he had just said to her. Gin responded in her stead.

"Oh, don't be so scary now Tousen! You'll make Hateshi-chan cry. What do you think Sousuke? Did her comment offend you?" He smiled, his signature look on his face.

Tousen shot up out of his seat, clearly agitated. Next to Hateshi, a man with cyan hair could be heard snickering, his dislike for Tousen clear.

Aizen smirked, Tousen had a thing about talking with respect, and they had known that too. The couple worked very well together, whether it be in combat or getting on Tousen's nerves.

"Kaname, have a seat. Hateshi-san had a good point there."

Both of them assumed their seats, ready for the meeting that was at hand.

···

_A new love is like the first snow of wintertime, pure, beautiful and refreshing. & Just like the snowflakes, I too am falling ... in love with you. _

···

The sun had just risen above past the horizon, and Hateshi was already awake, her dark hair tied half-up, half-down so that it wouldn't get in the way of any of the hand to hand combat they were going to be practising today. It was the subject she was looking forwards to most; fighting relieved most of the tension that built up from sitting for long hours in the less active classes, such as poetry and calligraphy.

She was about to head out; but thinking over her present situation, she stopped. With a small frustrated sigh, she sat down, chin on her hands. There was no way that she would be able to get out and grab a quick snack before heading out today. Her dorm section had much attention drawn to it, thanks to a certain snitch she'd had the opportunity to meet the night before.

She sat on her futon, her thoughts filled with annoyance and frustration. She let out a loud huff, and covered herself with her blanket, deciding to sleep for the couple of hours that remained before official class time started.

When it finally came time to head off to the academy to train, she headed off with her zanpakutou tied to her sash. The class started like usual, but instead of assigning pairs for sparring, the sensei called the attention towards the front.

"Today we will be having a special guest here to help with the training. Ichimaru-fukutaichou will be working with us today!" At the sound of his name, Hateshi tensed. Not him again.

The young lieutenant walked into the room, happy to help out with the class. He had asked to change shifts with another lieutenant so it would be easier for him to observe her fighting skills. There was much muttering going on in the training room, and the class was very revved to see a lieutenant in action. The teacher began to call out names for the pairing of the students. In the end, Hateshi was the only one left without a partner. Just her own rotten luck. Should've seen that one coming; after all, it was Monday. She decided that if Monday was ever an object or a person, she would be done with it or them quite quickly.

"Hateshinai-kun, seems like you will have to wait till-" the sensei started off.

"Hateshi-chan, how 'bout you spar with me? Ne?" The silver-haired man cut in.

"Why, thank you Ichimaru-fukutaichou." The teacher replied, a bit surprised to see how willing he was to volunteer.

"Sensei, I'm fine waiting for another sparring partner, Gin-fukutaichou doesn't need to-" Before Hateshi could complete her request, Gin cut her off.

"Ne, Hateshi-chan, could it be that you dislike me? I think you should give me a chance, we haven't even gotten to know each other yet!"

Mhmm, don't even know you ... yeah right. He was definitely doing this to get on her nerves, and she would not permit that.

"Of course I don't! Now what would make you think that, Gin-fukutaichou?" she answered happily, although if you paid enough attention, there was a sliver of annoyance in her words.

"Shall we?" Gin asked, leading her over to the sparring area.

The sensei observed the scene, a bit confused of their banter. Had he just heard her say Gin-fukutaichou? He shook off the thought, and sat down to watch the first couple of matches.

After a series of sparring, it came down to the student and the lieutenant. The other students were a bit shocked to see Hateshi have to spar with a lieutenant. But they kept their silence, not opposing the sensei's decision.

"Kaisou Hateshinai, Ichimaru-fukutaichou. Please go to the training ring outside."

Hateshi nodded, and took her zanpakutou with her. The sensei saying that the match was to be held outside meant that they were allowed to use shikai. She was one of the few who had achieved the first release for her zanpakutou already. However, she hadn't thought that the sensei would want her to go full out.

"Ichimaru-fukutaichou, please go easy on her. She's able to do shikai, but we haven't had the chance to test her capabilities with it yet." Ichimaru didn't answer; he simply keep his grin and headed out into the field. So it seemed that this student was quite a bit higher in level than her classmates; it was usually when you got a seat that you achieved shikai.

She had her hand on the hilt of her sword, ready. Ichimaru casually strolled into the clearing, smirking, as usual.

He made the first attack, lunging in with a slow shunpo to test her reaction speed. To his surprise, she dodged it quite easily, and drew her sword in a horizontal motion, slashing at his abdomen. He shunpo-ed back, and she pursued him, with a shunpo, quickening the pace of the battle.

She could have defeated a third seat as easily as I had. He thought, smirking a little.

Doing a slash from shoulder to hip, she lunged forward, her strike abruptly blocked by his sword, and she was pushed back from the impact. The two kept at it for while, and Hateshi finally decided that releasing her zanpakuto would be a good idea. The teacher was sitting at the front, observing and recording the fight with a device that had been provided to him by the research and development division.

Her classmates observed the match with awe; Hateshi was the silent type, and didn't did not put her skills on display very often. Her demeanour was cold, she wasn't one that liked to attract attention to herself.

"Enlighten the moon less night. Tsuyuki no Enkou!" Her normal katana now had a thin and wavy slit in the middle, the metal becoming a lighter colour, and the ribbon in the back becoming metallic. The her reiatsu had increased, and the temperature had dropped by dozen degrees or so. Surprised to see her use her shikai already, Gin smirked. He decided it wouldn't hurt to use his as well.

"Kill, Shinsou!" His blade glowed a vivid white, and shot towards her at a surprising speed. Not flinching at all, she raised her sword, sparks flying as the metal collided with metal. She had taken notice to side step the attack, so that there was less pressure on the blade. Once Gin had pulled back his sword, he noticed that it was slightly frosted, and there were vapours rising from the zanpakutou. It cracked, small fissures forming on the blade.

"Heh, impressive, Hateshi-chan."

The fight continued, and they kept going at it until, with a final lunge, Hateshi's footing slipped, and she was caught with his sword at her neck. She frowned slightly, expressing her displeasure. Ichimaru was grinning, glad to have been her opponent. She was definitely above the level that she had been set as.

"Match 18, Ichimaru-fukutaichou, victor." The sensei announced, closing his notebook. He had much to report to central 46.

They announced a break, it was time for lunch. Hateshi headed towards the clearing in which she usually took her break, but stopped abruptly, remembering the encounter from last night, and the lieutenant she had just fought. The last thing she wanted to do was to have to face him again. However, she was a bit late, the lieutenant was right behind her, his voice giving her a slight jolt.

"So it seems like our little delinquent is headed out to look for more trouble is she?"

She turned to face him, recomposing her features to not show her surprise.

"And our lieutenant is neglecting his duties again?" She countered, turning around and walking ahead.

He simply laughed, following her to the clearing.

"That was some impressive skill you showed there, Hateshi-chan." Gin continued, his smile still on his face.

"If I hadn't been cautious enough, who knows what might have happened." She answered, a biting tone in her voice.

"Eh? I wouldn't have done that much damage. You're simply a student after all." He replied in a sly tone.

"Yesterday taught me not to trust you already, Ichimaru-fukutaichou." Her sentence was tainted with a bit of annoyance.

"Oh, is someone mad?" He asked, snickering a bit. They had arrived at the clearing, and Hateshi sat under the persimmon tree, facing away from him.

She didn't answer, but her actions spoke volumes. She refused to look at him, and crossed her arms.

"Well, I suppose that I'll have to bother you a bit more then-" He stated, smirking. She turned around at that, not wanting to be bothered anymore than she had to be.

"Humph, troublesome lieutenant." She pouted, not seeming comfortable at all. To make matters worse, he sat down beside her, happily causing her unease.

This woman was interesting, and amusing. He would have to find an excuse to keep her under his wing.

···

^__^ Please comment and feel free to critique.


	3. Vixen

"Gin, stop it will you?" tinkling laugher was heard down the halls of Las Noches, the young woman and ex-captain playfully pillow-fighting. It was quite obvious who was winning. She was starting to grow accustomed to being around so many arrancar. There was few she knew that didn't think too highly of her, but she didn't mind; she was given a lodging away from the place she used to call home. Of course, now that they were finding ways to put a price on her head, home wasn't exactly the best place to be. Pity that she had to leave behind her little friend...

···

After she got that pesky lieutenant off her back, she finally rested, closing her eyes and focusing on the sounds that surrounded her. At first, there was the peaceful lulling of birds, and the soft whisper of the wind. Then, there was crunching footsteps. Her eyes shot open, aware of a new presence. It was her sensei.

"Hateshinai-kun, that was quite a display you showed us today. I would like to assign you a new mission; you will train a student in one of the sophomore classes. Her name in info are written on this scroll. Have fun with your new assignment! Oh, and you won't need to be attending any classes until you've finished your mission." With those instructions, he left, leaving her to ponder on how he had found her in such a secluded clearing.

She opened the scroll, and read the objective. It seemed absurd that she should take on the mission, but if it meant being able to avoid that lieutenant, she was up for it.

After arriving at the academy's doors, she looked around for the B-1 class. It took her a couple of instances, but she spotted the sign above the main class room and checked the scroll once more for the name of the girl she was supposed to train. The girl was semi-noble; her relation to the Shihoin clan allowing her to have the extra tutoring she would need to be able to be a good addition to the Gotei 13.

Class had just finished, so it would be the best time to pick out whoever the lucky stuck-up kid would be. She noticed a large group in the back, and decided it would be best if she asked them for the whereabouts of the girl.

"Hey, sorry to bother you, but do any of you know an Amai Miyuki by any chance?"

To her annoyance, she could see a couple of guys bullying someone in the corner, and excused herself from the group for a moment. Walking over to the guys, she tapped one on the shoulder, raising an eyebrow and giving a "Ahem, I'm not very impressed at the moment so scram" vibe. The guy turned around, and instead of backing off, smirked. Today was really not going her way.

"Well, hello vixen, aren't you a tough one, we're a bit busy, but we'd be happy to deal with you next." The guys behind him snickered, all of them eyeing her. Thinking back on why she had decided to take the mission, she sighed. Maybe the teasing lieutenant wasn't so bad after all. There was a line between annoying and trash. These kids were definitely trash. With a sigh, she continued towards the middle of the circle, surprised to see a petite brown haired girl in the middle of the crisis. She pushed her way through and helped the girl up. Determined to not go in an outburst and start a mass-murder, she politely side-tracked the idiot's comment.

"Leave this girl alone. I doubt she's done anything to deserve this." She started to walk out of the circle, but one guys put his arm on the wall, the circle now enclosing both her and the other girl.

"Heh, well vixen, that just can't be done, sorry. That's our drinking money right there." He motioned towards the girl, who was glaring at them angrily. She swung a punch at his gut, but he dodged it easily. He kicked at her, sending her towards the floor.

"You can be our companion. How about it heh?" He laughed, the other guys joining in. She really didn't have a reason to not beat them to a pulp now.

"Leave her alone, and let us go, or else-" she was cut off by the same guy again.

"Or else what vixen? You'll slap me?" He laughed, again. Hateshi really was not in the mood to be wrecking things and causing trouble, but she supposed it was for a good cause. For someone that was most likely already starting to learn hado, he was sure dull. Hateshi let go of the girl, just about to knock him out with a good punch under the jaw, when they were interrupted.

"Oh? What's this? Seems as though there as still some ruffians in the academy. That vixen you're speaking to is mine by the way." For once, Hateshi was glad to hear the smooth and teasing voice.

Gin was standing right behind the boys, arms crossed and grinning. The guys scurried to form a line.

"I-Ichimaru-fukutaichou! We apologise, we were simply fooling arou-" They were cut off by Gin.

"Fooling around? Now what makes you think the academy is a place to fool around?" He continued before they could answer. "You are disbanded to Rukongai, and you are to do labour for the next 3 months."

"B-but sir!"

"Do I need to repeat myself?" With frowns on their faces, they bowed, and promptly packed their stuff, to leave for their consequences.

The girl got up and bowed deeply to Hateshi and Gin. By looks of it, she was quite relieved to be free of those morons.

"Thank you, Ichimaru-fukutaichou, er- Miss."

Hateshi nodded, and asked for her name. It would be important to report this to their sensei so that he would be alerted of their absences. She replied, bowing slightly again.

"Pleased to meet you, Amai Miyuki." Although she was surprised the one she was supervising would be picked on, she followed up with her own introduction.

"Pleased to meet you, Kaisou Hateshinai." Ichimaru observed the formalities, his grin still present.

"Vixen heh? It does suit you, getting into trouble with every turn you make. Ne, Hateshi-chan?"

"Coming from someone that's nicknamed fox-face, I wouldn't be one to speak." He laughed at this comment, amused with the information she got.

"You were following me around weren't you? What about your duties, Gin-fukutaichou? A responsible lieutenant shouldn't waste his time following an academy student around now should they?" she asked, smirking.

Gin grinned, but didn't bother to answer; it was a rhetorical question anyhow. Aizen was fine with whatever Gin did; Hateshi could serve (as a very good recruit. Little did he know, she would be much more than a pawn of the chess board.

···

"Miyuki-san, I was assigned to teach you." Hateshi stated once they were just outside of the Miyuki's residence. Miyuki nodded, she had seen it coming up. She wasn't a bad fighter; she had the skills, but she wasn't confident enough to strike anyone with the intention of really hurting them. Furthermore, those guys had her father quite worried for a while. The girl was one year younger than Hateshi, not meaning much in shinigami years.

"Meet me in the training fields tomorrow, and rest well; you're going to need it." Hateshi noted before leaving. Miyuki walked up to front door, noticing her father standing at the window. He had seen the whole encounter, and he seemed pleased with the situation. Miyuki spoke, updating him on what was going to be happening tomorrow.

"That girl is the one who is going to be mentoring me."

"Did she tell you her name?"

"Yes, she mentioned it not too long ago. I think she's Hateshinai Kaisou?"

"Hateshinai-kun? You are quite lucky to have such an admirable mentor Miyuki."

"Hmm? Is there something special about her, father?"

"I hear that she's the prodigy of your generation. It seems that Ichimaru-fukutaichou fought with her as an equal today, and she put up quite an impressive fight. It's not often a student can even withstand a lieutenant's reiatsu, not to mention fighting them."

Miyuki was quite surprised to hear this. If she was so powerful, why hadn't she just gotten rid of those guys herself? She had also seen Ichimaru walk her back to the dorms yesterday...was there something they were hiding from the eyes of the others? They way they spoke wasn't like the usual sempai-student talk at all. They were constantly challenging each other, the banter light and teasing. She let the slight suspicion out of her train of thought, and focused instead on her training for tomorrow.

···

Aizen started out with a question. "Isn't there something you would like to share with us, Gin?"

With a bit of a smirk, Gin spoke.

"Hateshi and I are engaged. There will be a party next week."

Hearing the word engaged still made Hateshi slightly uncomfortable. As much as she loved Gin, it was still a new word on her tongue; engagement and fiancee. They were two words she was going to have to get used to quite soon.

She blushed slightly, seeing the eyes around the table directed towards her in that manner didn't help to the situation. The guys congratulated the ex-third division captain, who seemed to be at ease with the situation. Being the only other female there, Halibel quietly congratulated Hateshi, who nodded with a small smile of thanks.

They continued with the situation at hand and the plans that were to be made for the upcoming battles. Once they were done, a still red-faced Hateshi walked out hand in hand with Gin, heading back towards their quarters. Thinking of the party, she quickly remembered that she had yet to invite one more guest.

All the espada had confirmed their invitation to the party that was to take place next week, that is, except for Aaron Niero, who was busy with a scouting mission. Hateshi and Gin had already planned the location and the activities that were to take place at the party. The main attraction? Drinking.


	4. The MOST important is

A big thanks to TurquisePL for reviewing !!! ^__^

Here some more !!!

···

Dawn had just broken, but Hateshi was quite ready to start the day. As for the ones guarding the entrance of the dorm, she now had a scroll that would allow her to pass them at any time. After all, curfew was quite below mission on the importance list.

Deciding that an early and quick start would be best, she headed out to the Amai residence, shunpo-ing there to cut down the travel time. Once she had arrived, she knocked on the door, knowing that the other members of the house should already be awake and gone. After all, being a shinigami required quite a bit more work then one would think. There were a quite a few things to do in a day, and unfortunately, so little time to accomplish what there was to be done.

A half-asleep Miyuki answered, her drowsy eyes widening in surprise to see her new mentor there so early in the morning. However, she invited her in the house as she hurried to get ready. Hateshi happily sipped on some tea (yay, now it's the right time to sip tea, rather than to sleep xD) while she waited for the brown-haired girl to get her belongings together.

Not too long after, they headed out to a familiar clearing, the wind weaving it's threads of air around the branches of the trees that lined the area.

First off, there was one important thing to do. Breakfast.

"Alright Miyuki-chan. Do you know what's the most important thing before we get started?"

Taking things very seriously, the younger student's mind flipped through a series of things that she had been taught at the academy.

"To warm-up! If you don't warm up, then you could possibly strain or rip a muscle. However, you should be conditioned enough so that if there is ever an emergency response, you should be able to fight without fear of injuring yourself!" Miyuki stated, seeming proud of her answer. To her avail, Hateshi shook her head, smiling.

From the bag she had been carrying, she produced two cups, a mat and a couple of onigiri. She then continued by reaching into the persimmon tree they had been sitting under, picking two ripe fruit for each of them. She tossed one of them to her new companion.

"Nope, it's breakfast! If you don't have any energy, how do you expect to warm-up?" Her silver eyes glinted with amusement. Miyuki looked at the fruit, a bit perplexed.

"Um. Hateshinai-sempai, what is this?" she observed the fruit, inclining her head to one side.

"Try it, it's quite good. Not as good as lychee, but is still very tasty! It's called persimmon."

They continued their relaxed banter; it was exactly what Hateshi was hoping for. This way, she'd be able to get to know her acquaintance better before going into the training that, could very possibly have Miyuki hate her; for life.

By the end of the day, she had successfully taught Miyuki how to shunpo ; it was a very underdeveloped shunpo, but it was one nonetheless. The training had left the girl almost completely drained of energy; when Hateshi said to get some rest before the day started, she had meant it. Happy with the progress, Hateshi escorted her back to the Amai residence, leaving the girl to her well-deserved rest.

Once the she had gone inside, she decided to roam around a bit; after all, she was now not obstructed by curfew, so why not?

On her way back to the dorm, she happened to pass by the fifth division's headquarters. She was swiftly making her way back when something peculiar caught her attention.

Aizen-taichou's voice was heard through the room she was passing next to, avidly discussing something with someone. She had heard him mention her name; it was the one thing that had piqued her curiosity enough for her to stay and eavesdrop.

"Hateshinai Kaisou? Isn't she the prodigy that we've been getting reports about?" The tone of his voice was quite different from the couple of times she'd met him for the poetry lectures he often is present for. Something about the way he said her name disturbed her. It seemed like he was a completely different person. A familiar voice sent tremors up her spine.

"Yes, I've personally tested her myself. She's quite interesting for an academy student. Central 46 also seem to have their eyes on her. How about you talk to her yourself? After, all I'm sure she wouldn't mind; she's right here." The words made her tense up immediately. Foolishly, had forgotten to conceal her reiastu; something she usually didn't need to do at all. The door opened, the calm tapping of feet on the wood as she walked to the room; there was no point in denying it or running away now. Once she got to the door, the captain greeted her with a warm smile, and Gin bore his usual grin.

She lowered her gaze; she had been caught red-handed. Gin motioned for her to have a seat next to him. She sat down reluctantly, the sound of her heart almost audible.

"Oh come now Hateshi-chan, there's no need to be so nervous. We don't bite." Gin said, teasingly.

Despite her discomfort, she manage to retaliate; mumbling something along the lines of :

"I wouldn't be so sure about you, Ichimaru."

Sensing the tension in the air, Aizen spoke, his deep voice calm and gentle; completely reverting to his lecture-giving self.

"Hateshinai-kun, I hear that you are quite the focus of attention at the academy. How would you like to join the fifth division once you graduate?" The question caught her off-guard; it certainly didn't sound like what they had been discussing before she came in. Unsure of how she should answer, she tried to make herself sound coherent.

"Erm, I'm sure I'm not all that special; I'm not that great at kido either." She avoided the brown-haired man's gaze.

"Ne, I wouldn't say so, Hateshi-chan. You seem quite special. Wouldn't you say so, Aizen-taichou?" Gin added, closing off the tiny escape route she had been aiming for.

Her emotions suddenly froze, she would not let he mind be tampered with like that. Her voice now had an edge to it; her eyes so cold that even Gin was a bit startled at their look.

"And what, may I ask Ichimaru-fukutaichou, has you so interested with this simple academy student? I'm sure if you wanted to recruit me into the fifth division, all you would need to do is have a little talk with the sensei, and I would be sent here directly following my graduation; am I not right?"

Upon hearing this, Aizen smiled. Not the way he did at the other division members, not how he had before; this was the smile beneath that mask he had made so well. Gin had keen eyes; he had made a very good choice. However, one like this would either be very dangerous to their plans, or very useful. That just depended on which path she would take in the fork of the road she was now standing on. They would have to take a look on what central 46 were thinking doing to the young shinigami.

"Heh, quite observant aren't we, Hateshi-chan?" Gin was grinning again, his smile now more of a smirk. Hateshi's eyes moved towards him, still analysing the situation in which she was now placed in. This was definitely not about whether she joined the division or not.

"Well, it's quite late. I suppose that you've had a long day, Hateshinai-kun. It should be time that you get some rest. It was good having talked to you." Aizen stated, comfortable with what he'd been able to observe of the young woman that was sitting before him. Hateshi nodded reluctantly, not wanting to create more trouble than what she was already stuck in. She got up, bowing, when she heard the sound fabric against fabric, and saw the lieutenant standing beside her.

"I'm fine walking back on my own." She said, her voice tainted with the slightest annoyance.

"Now now, we wouldn't want you to be eavesdropping on anyone else now would we?"

Annoyed, she didn't answer; instead, she huffed, turning around and stalking out the door. Amused with the sight, Aizen couldn't help but to laugh.

"Seems like this one is quite a bit more interesting than the norm, right Gin?" Gin grinned at his captain, and ran off to follow the woman outside.

···

"Hateshi, you have to leave, now."

"Why?"

"You know the reasons very well Hateshi, I don't think there is any need for me to have to explain."

Hateshi lowered her eyes, not able to look into the crimson irises. Her heart was denying it; why would Soul Society have to get rid of her? What she really that much of a threat?

"But-Where will I go?"

"You can go to Hueco Mundo. Aizen has provided a residence there for you."

"Hueco Mundo? But that's where the hollow are-it's just miles upon miles of desert there!"

"Don't worry, I'll be there with you not too long after."

"But you have to stay here and be captain! You can't just abandon you post like that, you'll be executed!"

Seeing her startled and confused, he took her hands and pulled her towards him. He held her close, seeming as though he would never let her go.

Somewhere in the depths of the feelings she had frozen so long ago, there was one that had thawed. It was love; as much as she wanted to tell him to forget about them, forget about when they had first met, forget her existence, she couldn't do it. Something inside her pulled her back. Accept it, and do as he says a little voice seemed to say.

"Aizen will have passageway open before daybreak, you have to be gone by then."

Holding back the turmoil that threatened to spill from her consciousness, she nodded, swallowing back feelings that she couldn't let him see. Not yet. It wasn't the time to do so; she wouldn't let him see her weak and helpless...not when she knew how he'd react.

"But what of my disappearance? Won't they notice?"

"Soul Society will be happy to be rid of you. Aizen has already diverted a plan to explain why you are missing."

Sensing a familiar presence approaching, she inched away from his grasp, her skin still tingling from his touch, sending tremors up her spine.

"I will tell Miyuki; I trust her, and I cannot bear to see her if she thinks I have abandoned her."

Gin nodded, his red eyes filled with pain and worry. He ushered her off; they simply looked like a captain that had affronted a student that had been sneaking out. How ironic; it all started with that after all, she thought, a grim smile on her mind as he turned and left. She turned to find her closest friend, the same shinigami she had trained to be a strong and confident teenager. Without hesitation, she cut to the chase; there was much to be done before daybreak, and time didn't wait for anyone.

"I have to leave Miyuki-chan, I cannot continue here, waiting for them to find an excuse to get rid of me."

Miyuki had witnessed Hateshi speaking with Gin, looking slightly shaken and Gin looking worried. Had that been a flash of red she'd seen!? Had Gin opened his eyes to Hateshi? Miyuki could not believe it and yet, it made sense.

She had waited until Gin had left, which happened moments later, and walked to the girl who she could have called sister. The moon was the only source of light but it wasn't difficult to see Hateshi's sad features. She had been surprised by Miyuki's presence.

"An excuse Hateshi? They can find none, your record is purer then snow."

"The whiter a cloth, the easier it is to pick out a stain. I do not wish for the snow that you speak of to be stained by the blood of those close to me." Hateshi looked away from Miyuki, her expression solemn.

The pair stood in silence before the brown haired girl spoke.

"...I understand. Where will you go?"

Hateshi hesitated for a moment, not wanting to disclose too much information to any unwanted ears.

"A friend had offered me a location they know of." That itself would have been enough for Miyuki to decipher. The younger girl nodded once, her expression now more sad then shocked.

"I will miss you greatly Hateshi-sempai."

"And I you. Please take care and do not forget, twist, pull back, lunge." She forced a grim smile, and lingered a moment. With one last nod, she disappeared into the night, not allowing herself to look back. She knew this might well be the last encounter they would ever have.

···


	5. Reserver s'il vous plait

Hateshi gave Gin a gentle shove on the shoulder. The man was still asleep, and half-opened his red eyes. He quirked an eyebrow lazily, wondering what there was to be done at 7 am.

"Gin, I'm going to go to Soul Society. There's one guest that I haven't invited yet. Don't worry too much 'kay?"

He smiled sleepily, knowing who his fiancee had in mind. A certain shinigami was going to get quite the surprise. He mumbled something to her.

"As long as I don't have to summon a Negacion to get my little troublemaker back, I'll be fine." She smiled at the nickname, and gave him a quick peck on the lips before letting him go back to sleep. She was about to open a gargantua, but decided against it. The shock of seeing her again would be enough. Pulling out her zanpakutou, Hateshi opened a senkai gate, summoning a hell butterfly to visit no one other than the one she had left behind so long ago.

···

A white flash of light shone through the portal in which Hateshi stepped out of, into the room that she had felt the familiar spirit pressure come from. Miyuki was facing the other direction, looking out the window. A twinge of guilt racked Hateshi; she hadn't seen her for so long. She leaked a tiny bit of her reiatsu, so that there would be not too much of a surprise. Miyuki caught onto the spirit pressure right away. She whipped around, facing the woman clad in white arrancar armour.

"Hateshi-chan? What are you doing here?" The shorter girl looked confused, and shocked at the same time.

"Miyuki-chan, it's been too long!" Hateshi said, a warm smile on her face. She hugged her old friend, remembering to conceal her reiatsu. The last thing she wanted was their joyful reunion to be cut off by a squad coming to the room and finding a "wanted criminal"

"I hope you've been keeping well. I certainly hear you have been. 4th seat? I hope my move proved useful to help you with that." She continued, joking around, hoping that time had not put too much of a gap between the two of them. She had acquired that information through Gin; if there was anything she loved him for, it was his knowing of what was on her mind. Miyuki was still gaping at Hateshi. The woman guessed it was because of the clothes that had changed; or perhaps it was her overall change in appearance?

"I... you... that... where..." Sounds came out of Miyuki's mouth, but they made absolutely no sense whatsoever. Hateshi smiled, shaking her head a bit.

"Oh I hope you haven't developed a stutter Miyuki-chan, I would hate to bring you back like that." She joked, grinning at Miyuki.

"Bring me back? Bring me back where? Where have you been Hateshi-senpai?" Hateshi couldn't help but to laugh; those were more of the questions she had been expecting. But oh well, life did add it's little gags in there occasionally. Seems like her friend hadn't changed too much.

"In a wonderfully warm place. Mind you, I'm talking about the weather, not it's inhabitants. Some of them are not so warm but fun to bully a little. I come to extend an invitation to you for an event coming up." Hateshi said, cutting right to the chase. She had always been on to get right to the point.

"A... what?" Apparently she was taking things a bit too quickly. She continued nonetheless. Reaching inside her pocket, Hateshi pulled out a small scroll; inside there was neat handwriting that said:

_You are hearby invited to attend the engagement party_

_of Ichimaru Gin and Hateshinai Kaisou,_

_To be held on February 19th_

_Please send r.s.v.p immediately_

_to the woman standing in front of you._

Miyuki read over the invitation, and had just looked up when Hateshi spoke again.

"You are the only one who I made an invitation for, that is the reason behind the slightly odd r.s.v.p notice. It would mean the world to me if you would come, it has been so long since I've seen you but it would not be the same without you there."

Miyuki looked back down at the invitation, then back at Hateshi.

"You're getting married?! To Ichimaru Gin?! Have you lost your mind Hateshi-senpai? He's a traitor to Soul Society!" There was a slight paused, and she saw the instant regret in the brunette's eyes.

"Some would imagine I have and yet, here it is, still quick as a whip. It is a very long story Miyuki-chan but a story I will have to share another time. My presence cannot be known so I cannot stay long. Will you give me an answer little Amai?"

"If you wish me to be there, I will." Miyuki answered almost immediately. Upon hearing her response, Hateshi smiled in relief.

"That makes me very happy! I will send a hell butterfly for you to take you to the human world and find you there to bring you back with me." Miyuki's expression turned from a smile to her classic inclined head.

"Back with you? Back with you where?" Hateshi opened another portal, already summoning another hell butterfly. Before she stepped through the passageway, she turned to Miyuki, answered her easily.

"Why, to Las Noches of course..." It was the last thing she said before letting the door between the two worlds close, the light of the portal leaving a subtle glow in Miyuki's room.

···

Hurriedly packing anything she needed into a large piece of cloth that she had found in her dorm closet, she took her bandages, an extra pair of shoes, her yukata as well as a cloak. Last but certainly not least, she took the jacket that Gin had draped over her shoulders a couple of nights before, when the weather had turned a bit too much towards the cold; leaving that here would mean placing a death penalty on his head, and that was the last thing she needed.

As discreetly as one could sneak out of a dorms at three in the morning, she shunpo-ed to the third division. She wanted to see his face one last time; even if it would hurt her, she knew she had see him one last time before she left. She slid open the door to the office. She quickly stepped into the room, expecting to see the man she had to leave behind. Instead, she found a void, a dark, black void. Her heart skipped a beat. Surprise and confusion hit her mind. She didn't have time to figure it out, when she landed with a thud on a large mass of sand. Staggering to her feet, she met with a most interesting pair of eyes; eyes that would frighten most. Dark teal eyes observed her, accented by ghostly pale skin and two teal tear streaks on either side of his face. What seemed to be the remnants of a hollow mask covered half of his head, his dark hair hidden under it. It was similar to a samurai helmet that had be sliced in half, except that it looked more like bone then helmet. A gruff voice turned her attention towards her left.

"Who the fuck is she? Can we kill her?" The voice rose in excitement when he had asked about the kill; the man who had asked those questions had cyan hair, his most prominent features being the jawbone that was the remnants of his hollow mask and the intense cyan eyes that matched his hair. His muscled body was proudly on display, the outfit he wore was a white vest that had been cut short, and outlined with black fabric. Hateshi's eyes shifted from one of the weird beings to the other. Remembering the man's question, she then quickly jumped back, mind ready to defend herself from attack.

"Aizen-sama hadn't alerted me of any arrival." The other man replied, his eyes still glued to Hateshi's silver ones. His face was almost emotionless, except, was there a sliver of...disgust? Or was it simply the way he observed others?

Wait. Had he said...Aizen? It's true that her final destination was to be Hueco Mundo. This was where she seemed to be anyhow. But, hadn't Gin mentioned that he had prepared a residence for her? This certainly felt more like she was an intruder that was to be killed off. Then again, Aizen was a crafty and conniving man.

"Heh, then this one's mine. We haven't had enough fucking training around here lately anyway." The man replied to his companion, a feral grin spreading on his face. He drew his katana, suddenly lunging in and slashing at Hateshi. Her brow furrowed, Hateshi quickly drew her sword, barely managing to stop his katana from getting any closer than it already was from her. She allowed herself to be pushed back, doing a quick flip and landing several meters away from him. He had however, moved behind her, attacking again, picking up the pace of the battle. She struggled against his strength, surprised by the continuous offence. Whoever he was, he was out for the kill, and she was the prey.

···

Gin sat in his room, glancing at the door. Why hadn't she come to see him? Maybe she didn't think the same way as he did. But that look...he was almost sure of it. Perhaps it was to spare her of anymore pain. That he could understand quite well. The dawn was breaking, and she should be coursing through the halls of Las Noches by now, Ulquiorra as her pessimistic guide. Wearily, Gin headed off to meet up with Aizen; he had mentioned something about wanting discuss a certain matter after her departure.

---

**Author's note: **

HAHA if everyone RSVP-ed that quickly, weddings would be SOOO less stressful xD

anyhow, I'll update soon ^__^ 3

Comment (as usual =P )


	6. Panther in the midst of the storm

···

Grimmjow was relishing every minute of the battle, playing with his prey like a cat did to a mouse. He sent her scurrying every split second. If there was anything that this shinigami had, it was speed. He would give her that much. So far, she had been lucky enough to not be hit by any of his ceros. She still hadn't released her sword; or perhaps, she didn't know how to yet. Anyhow, after he got tired of making her run around, he would kill her, perhaps rip one of her limbs off first. Or maybe, he would carve his sword into her flesh until she bled out. Thinking of how he should finish her off, he didn't notice that she had appeared behind him, brow furrowed, zanpakutou in one hand, baggage in the other. Hateshi had been cornered at first, but she had been analysing his movements all the while, helping her to analyse the way he would react. It was time she used her shikai. Hopefully, she would be able to finish this off and get away before the other decided he wanted to train as well. Holding her sword horizontally, she uttered the release phrase.

"Enlighten the moon less night, Tsuyuki no Enkou!" A blast of light from behind him caught his attention. He smiled maniacally, his eyes widening in delight.

"So you've got more in you than just fucking running around then, woman?" He waited for the mist to part, ready to defend against any possible attack she might try while she was still concealed. The wind billowed, and the cloudless skies of Hueco Mundo brightened, light shining in the clearing. Then, the oddest thing happened. In the middle of a white sand desert, snow began to fall, the ambient light reflecting off of each snowflake. She spoke as it all happened.

"First snow; frozen phantom." She appeared behind him a split second later, slashing at him, the edge of her blade pulsating with a whitish-blue light, Grimmjow managed to dodge it, but it nicked him slightly in the arm he was using to parry the blow. The cut flared as if it were a blue fire, then seeped into the wound.

"Heh, if that's all you got, then you're gonna die bitch!" He still had his bloodthirsty grin plastered on his face, and lunged forwards to attack her again when suddenly, the arm he was going to swing with dropped limp by his side. His cyan eyes widened in surprise. "Wha-?"

"My zanpakutou's ability is the manipulation of light and the compression of particles. You won't be moving your arm for a while. I've frozen the nerves that lead to your muscles. You won't bleed, but it will be useless to you until I see fit." Her expression was no longer panicked, nor confused. She was in control of the situation, and she knew it.

"Fuck!" He cursed loudly, taking his zanpakutou from his dominant hand. He used his left hand and went at her again, catching her by surprise and slicing open her shoulder. Blood dripped to the ground, staining the snow with tiny droplets of crimson liquid.

···

The former lieutenant of the 5th division sat in front of Aizen's desk, patiently waiting for the man to speak as he sipped his tea. Gin sipped on the chilled tea he had been served.

"Hm, I wonder how Hateshi-kun is doing with the Grimmjow's fight."

Hearing those words made Gin almost choke on the cold liquid, and he coughed before repeating what Aizen had just told him.

"Oh?" Confused, he continued. "Wasn't she was supposed to be escorted by Ulquiorra to Las Noches?" He frowned, worry marking his expression.

"Heh, don't worry, Ulquiorra will be there, he'll stop it if it gets too out of hand." Aizen replied casually, not the least bit worried.

"When things get out of hand?" Gin stood up, ready to open a gargantua to Hueco Mundo right away. "Out of hand" for Ulquiorra usually was leaving the corpse to rot in the sun.

···

"Heh, I guess you didn't calculate the chances of me being able to fight with my other hand then? Now go and DIE WEAKLING!" He blasted a bala at her, following up with a large cero.

Her silver eyes widened in shock; the only thing left was the cold breeze whistling on the snow.

···

Gin paced back and forth, thinking of all the possible scenarios where things could have made a turn for the worst. Grimmjow would not go easy on anyone, shinigami, arrancar, man, woman, it didn't make a difference. He would rip them apart until there was no telling who the original person was. Hateshi was strong; but who knew? Maybe they got her by surprise, maybe the could have killed her, maybe...this was just another one of Aizen's schemes.

···

"Fuck, that was wasn't all that fun, and I still can't move my fucking hand!" Grimmjow swore, looking at the snow. There was no remains of the woman that had been fighting with him.

"Heh, not even one part of her remains. Just her misfortune to have met Grimmjow Jeagerjaques!" he smiled maniacally, his thirst for blood not satiated at all.

The snow ceased to drift, it whipped around, creating more of a blizzard than a simple snowfall. A very quiet voice was heard; it seemed as though it was muffled.

"Second snow; Storm"

Grimmjow's eyes widened a bit, shocked to hear her voice. Before he could see what was happening, a slice was driven down his chest, the blood crystallising before it even had the chance to spurt out. She appeared behind him, backhand slashing across his shoulders, a line of blue flames flaring as it engulfed itself and died out. It was true that he was fast, but her movements proved to be more lithe, and her transitions were quite a bit smoother. She somersaulted backwards, blade extended forwards, and ready to defend herself lest he was still capable of attacking. He fell backwards, unable to move, but she remained that way all the same.

The man with teal eyes remained immobile and silent, his expression still unimpressed.

···

Ulquiorra observed the woman, as Aizen had directed him to. Considering her fight with Grimmjow, she seemed to be one that liked to avoid fighting. As well, her zanpakutou's ability was interesting as well; the ability to compress particles...as well as the manipulation of light. A fusion zanpakutou, something that he had never seen before. What was that move she used? Something along the lines of frozen phantom? He didn't quite catch on the technique; he had only seen it once. However, whatever it was, it must have been either a clone technique or an illusion, for he was sure that Grimmjow had hit the shinigami. Whatever. It was all the data needed for now. After all, that was the point of the assignment. Evaluate her power. In his hand, he held a small flask of a clear red liquid. She was still quite focused on her opponent; Grimmjow. He let a couple of drops float in the air above him, and shot it at her direction.

···

Hateshi's attention was still on the strange hollow-shinigami creature that had attacked her. Whatever they were, they weren't the usual hollow; that was for sure. Suddenly, she felt the flow of the wind sliced by...what was it? An orb of liquid? She couldn't tell. Attempting to dodge it with a quick shunpo, she was too late; the cool liquid hit her on the side of her neck, and limbs gave out. The last thing she saw were two unforgiving, emotionless teal eyes.

···

Ulquiorra picked up the shinigami, grabbing her by the collar and throwing her over his shoulder. [ahaha, I can just picture Ulqui treating Hateshi as a sack of potatoes xD] He could hear Grimmjow breathing raggedly in the distance.

" FUCKING GOD DAMN IT. That shinigami, I'LL KILL HER!!!"

He appeared behind Ulquiorra, blasting a cero at Hateshi's limp form. Ulquiorra negated it easily with a flick of his wrist.

"I have orders to bring this woman to Las Noches..."

"You can bring her corpse back!"

"...Alive and well." As Ulquiorra finished his sentence, Grimmjow's eyes flashed in anger, and he let out a loud strain of curse words, but didn't attack again.

Once they were back in the fortress, Ulquiorra put her in the room that Aizen had assigned, and left, going to report what he had seen and the results of the fight.

···

Oh how I *heart* writing for Grimmy and for Ulqui ^__^

anyhow, commento-onegaishimasu!!!


	7. ACTIONS speak louder then words!

Hateshi was sprawled on the bed, staring at the high ceilings of Las Noches. She could hear Gin's voice; he was speaking to Aizen in the living room. The events of the past couple of months had been quite hectic, to say the least. The sudden move to Hueco Mundo, having to live with arrancar, the absence of constant orders from the upper class, the lack of her closest friend; Miyuki. And yet, something good had come out of it all.

She closed her eyes, and sighed. There was too much contemplating going on. Today was supposed to be a happy day, a day for her to celebrate and let loose. The feeling of humid air on her neck pulled her out of her thoughts. She lazily opened one eye, revealing a silver-grey pupil. Gin was lying next to her, his deep crimson eyes open. She was the only one he would willingly keep them open for; the only one he fully trusted. After all, it would be quite a pity if you didn't trust the one you were going to spend the rest of your life with wouldn't it? She smiled, rolling over, closer to him. How could she had ever hated him? It was beyond her comprehension now. The smell of pine, spearmint and a hint of citrus enveloped her. It comforted her, knowing that he was really there, beside her. She kissed him on the cheek playfully, and rolled back a good distance, pulling a pillow from beside her and tossing it at him. Caught by surprise, he got knocked back, but quickly recovered, sitting up and taking the pillow behind him a tossing it her. Tinkling laugher filled the room, the sound bouncing off the white walls and going out the large windows that lined one side of the bedroom. The couple continued to mock fight each other with pillows, stray feathers floating in the air. She knocked him off the bed, and he stayed there. Curious, she crawled over to the side of the bed, peering over the ledge, and didn't see him until Gin caught her wrist and pulled her down with him. She landed on his chest, laughing after the initial surprise that had gotten her. They stayed on the rug next to the bed, both a little pink in the face from laughing so much. Rolling off of him, she leaned in, kissing him lightly on the lips. She had only begun to pull away when he pulled her in again, his lips starting at the base of her throat. A small gasp escaped her lips, and he made his up way to her mouth, melting into a deep kiss. Breaking apart for air, she pushed him away gently.

"Save your energy for the party." She whispered, breathing hard.

He smirked, and rolled his eyes.

"I would be more worried about you being exhausted. One kiss has already got you out of breath." He retorted, still smirking. She blushed, giving him a teasing shove.

"Either way, behave." She replied, not able to say anything to counter his clever comeback. Getting up, she glanced at the clock; Miyuki would be in the human world soon. The sound of fabric ruffling told her he had gotten up as well. She headed over to the closet, taking a cloak with her. The last thing she would need is anything from Soul Society detecting her. Spotting the reiatsu concealing cloak, he picked up almost immediately where Hateshi was heading to.

"Is Amai-chan more important than me now?" Gin asked jokingly.

"For someone who gets to keep me for the rest of eternity, you sure get jealous quite easily." Hateshi answered, laughing. Gin shrugged, a smile still on his face.

"You can never tell with a little troublemaker like you now can we?" He replied, grabbing a towel off the rack. He headed towards the hot springs.

"I'll be back soon." She said, tugging him back for one more kiss.

"Alright. I'll be waiting." He answered, watching his fiancee disappear into a gargantua.

···

The fabric of time and space ripped open, revealing the human world. Looking around, she quickly spotted Miyuki, who was gazing down at the mortals. She shunpo-ed next to the young woman, surprising her.

"-Hateshi?! I didn't even feel your reiatsu!" Her friend managed to say after blinking a couple of times.

"Well, it's better if we don't have to face an onslaught of shinigami wondering why there is irregular reiatsu in the human world now isn't it?" Hateshi replied, grinning. "Now if we don't hurry back you're going to miss all the good appetizers." She continued, pulling Miyuki with her while she quickly opened a new gargantua. Seeing the strange method of transportation ahead of her, Miyuki hesitated.

"What are we using to get there?" She questioned, inclining her head to a side, and eyeing the strange panels that were ripping open in the middle of the sky.

"A gargantua. It looks strange, but it'll be fine, so long as you're with me." Hateshi replied simply. Before Miyuki could get any other questions in, the older girl pulled her along into the dark void, leading into the world where corrupted souls and conniving shinigami resided.

···

Hateshi decided to land somewhere a bit further away from Las Noches, lest there be anyone that might have seen them. It was the usual day; the white sand shone underneath the bright sun above their heads. Mind you, that sun had been placed there thanks to Aizen, and did not give as much heat as the usual one did, but it was sunlight nonetheless.

Once they had gotten closer to the "palace" Hateshi spotted an espada walking near one of the pillars. Ulquiorra bore his usual look of disinterest, his hands in his pockets. The arrancar was not one that was very talkative, but if there was one thing he did well, it was completing orders. Hateshi kept in mind that she should talk to him. Feeling a sudden peak in reiatsu, Hateshi saw the bluish blur that was Grimmjow whip past her.

"How the fuck did you get in here?" He growled at Miyuki, who had managed to stop his attack. His initial reaction made the corner of Hateshi's lips twitch. Of course, he had reacted almost exactly the same way when he had met Hateshi. Arrogant, violent, and loud. Strike first, then talk. That would be Grimmjow for you. She shunpo-ed behind him, poking the sixth espada in the back of the head. Nothing violent...for today.

"She is my guest and you will not your paw on her, is that understood Grimmjow?" He growled, clearly agitated, but obeyed. He knew better then to ignore her.

"Now be a good pussycat and go play with your ball of yarn." She added, teasingly. If there was anything that was fun to do, it was to tease a couple of well picked out people.

The man stalked away, muttering curses under his breath. Unlike Tousen, Hateshi didn't bother trying to fix his swearing habits. Somethings would never change, and she knew that Grimmjow would never part with his cussing ways. She turned back to Miyuki, reassuring her that he wasn't all that bad of a character.

"He's a bit rough around the edges." She motioned for the girl to follow her, leading her pas the huge pillars that Ulquiorra had been standing near. The white doors of Las Noches opened, revealing the long labyrinths of hallways. She led her guest down a separate hallway; the one that led to her room. On their way there, they met Gin, wearing a white hakama. His silver hair was dripping wet; it seemed he had just come back from the hot spring. Just in time, Hateshi thought, a small smile creeping at her lips.

"Oh? Back already? It didn't take that long after all. And here you were rushing away like it would have taken you an hour." he teased.

"Tsk, bothersome Ichimaru." She replied blushing.

"And how is little Amai-chan?" Gin asked, his signature smile on his face.

Miyuki, seemingly still bothered by the ex-third lieutenant's presence, responded with a quick and formal tone.

"I'm fine thank you. And you, Ichimaru...-san?" She caught herself before she said Ichimaru-fukutaichou.

···

Arriving at Las Noches, Gin found the room that Aizen had put aside for Hateshi. He walked down one of the many long, white corridors that littered the palace. Stopping in front of a chosen door, it slid open, revealing white walls and a tall ceiling. There was a large white bed, and on the covers a woman slept, her sleep disturbed by the slight noise the door had made. She stirred, still muttering something from a dream.

"Gin...when... will you... ever come back?"

"I'm back now." Gin said quietly.

Hearing his voice, she sat up, rubbing her eyes. When she noticed him, her brow furrowed; it was as though he wasn't real. She blinked a couple of times, then reality sank in. Gin had finally come back.

"Gin?! You're back!" She exclaimed, still not completely believing that the man that she had been so worried about was finally back. They stood there, looking into each other's eyes for a moment, until he walked over to the edge of the bed. She got up, hugging him. He was back, and he's safe she thought, relief taking over her senses. He wrapped his arms around her, her head resting on his chest. After a comforting silence, they let go, sitting down on the bed.

"-How did you get back? Was there any trouble in Soul society? How's Miyuki? How are y-" She was cut off by Gin, who had put a finger on her lips.

"Easy now, I'm back, and I'm not going anywhere. I'm back for real alright? It's not me talking discreetly from a gargantua, Hateshi. I'm back, just shh." he said, a genuine smile on his face.

Getting over the initial rush of adrenaline, Hateshi calmed down a bit.

"You're not leaving again?" she asked again, just to reassure herself.

"That's right." He said, chuckling a bit at her urgency to confirm that he wasn't going to be leaving again in fear of someone discovering their short encounters. "But then again, actions speak louder than words." He said with a small smirk. Raising an eyebrow, Hateshi inclined her head to a side, not sure of the meaning of his words. Her question was answered soon enough. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her towards him, his lips meeting hers. Her eyes were open in surprise, and she could feel the blood rush to her cheeks. They fell backwards on the bed, Gin's hands on her wrists. They kissed again, this time more aggressively. Hateshi could swear she felt a smirk on his lips. He was right. Actions spoke much louder than words.

···

Hateshi and Miyuki sat in the hot spring, after quite a bit of nagging on Hateshi's part. She had a cloth draped over her eyes, and she sighed contentedly. Miyuki, who finally relaxed a bit, asked her friend the question that had been bugging her for the past couple of days. Hateshi hadn't gotten the chance to tell her the story when they were in Soul Society, but now there should be plenty of time.

"So Hateshi-chan, why exactly are you marrying the sly fox?" Miyuki had a gut feeling about what the answer was, but confirmation wouldn't hurt now would it? Hateshi pulled the cloth off her eyes, a small smile on her face.

"Tsk. I'm not sure myself, Miyuki. Who would marry that pesky lieutenant right?" She paused, smiling and shaking her head a bit.

"Well I'm sure that you know who the 'friend' that had provided me a location to stay was right?"

Miyuki nodded, listening intently. Hateshi continued.

"The truth is, Gin and I had something going on from since Soul Society. There's a reason to why he was such an irresponsible captain. Once we were back at Las Noches together, he wanted to prove to me that he would keep a certain promise...and so now I'm his fiancee." Hateshi ended up mumbling the end of her short tale. She blushed, her blood making her face hotter then the water that she was sitting in. Miyuki smiled, it did make sense; her theory had been right after all.

"That wasn't such a long story now was it, Hateshi-sempai?" Miyuki teased, her friend still obviously quite shy about the more "serious" relationship going on between her and fox-face. Hateshi didn't answer. Instead, she splashed some water at Miyuki, and begun quite the water fight.

"Someone's blushing!" Miyuki continued, laughing as she splashed some water back at her old friend.

"And why would I be blushing?" Hateshi retorted, although her face was clearly a bright shade of red.

author's note:

Hehe, well that's all for now ^__^ I'm going to write some more, and I should have in update in a couple of days ^__^ (I was too lazy + tired to finish that last scene)

Comento-onegaishimasu!!!


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